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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28717329">Play me like a violin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeyfeather1234/pseuds/Jeyfeather1234'>Jeyfeather1234</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cults, F/F, Family Issues, Found Family, Good Sibling Allison Hargreeves, Implied Suicide Attempt, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Torture, Psychological Trauma, Tags May Change, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Vanya Hargreeves-centric, post cult trauma, remember when Vanya said that she ran away in her autobiography?, this an au based off of that, zig-zags around canon here and there</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:47:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,100</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28717329</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jeyfeather1234/pseuds/Jeyfeather1234</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>At the young age of thirteen, Vanya left the Academy vowing to never go back there again. Seventeen years later, she arrives at Sir Reginald Hargreeves' funeral claiming that a group of people simply known as the Family are after her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Vanya Hargreeves &amp; Original Character(s), Vanya Hargreeves &amp; The Hargreeves, Vanya Hargreeves/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>134</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Homecoming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Vanya comes home to the Academy seeking help from Allison and an old face shows up</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Vanya drummed her fingers against the arm of her chair, listening to the steady rhythmic pitter-patter of the rain as the cab drove her to the Umbrella Academy mansion. She glanced down at the magazine sitting on her lap, staring at the cover for a long, hard moment. Allison Hargreeves, her sister, was a Hollywood superstar. Which was fine. It gave her a slight advantage, both knowing and being in contact with a celebrity. Allison would help her lie low for a while until she had enough money to fly to another state or, even better, a country far away from here. Preferably Russia. Surely,<em> they </em>couldn’t find her there, she mused. She put the magazine in her bag as the academy came into view. Well, there was no going back now.</p><p>The academy was the same as it’d always been: a three-story mansion that only served as a reminder that she would never regain the childhood that’d been stolen from them so long ago. A shaky sigh escaped her lips as she got out of the car and stood outside the windowed doors with the umbrella insignia. How much had changed since she’d left? Would anyone remember her? Would they care? A part of her hoped so, the other part not so much. <em> Just open the door, </em> she ordered herself. <em> Open the door and get this over with. </em> Gathering up all her strength, she fiddled with the keys in her quivering hands for a few seconds before unlocking the doorknob and cautiously stepped inside. It was as big and empty as she’d remembered. Muddled memories started to stir at the back of her mind. Silent family dinners, photoshoots which she’d been purposefully left out of, practicing violin in the living room alone. They all seemed so distant and pale. Grace sat on the couch in the living room but didn’t seem to be paying attention to her. It was best not to disturb her. Vanya straightened herself as she heard footsteps from the top of the stairs and turned to meet Allison’s gaze. She hesitated. <em> Go on, </em> a voice at the back of her mind whispered. <em> Say hi. </em> She was about to bow before catching herself. This wasn't the Manor. There was no need for such formalities here, she had to remind herself. This was home, albeit temporary. "Sist– Allison," she greeted, shaking her hand. "Hi, um. Do you remember me?"</p><p>Allison squinted, trying to figure out where she'd seen her face before as she said, "I don't think so...?" She stepped closer to get a better look. Yes, there was something vaguely familiar about her face but she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. "Have we met before?" The brunette's shoulders slumped slightly.</p><p>"It's me, Vanya." Allison opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. The first thing that came to mind was <em>no, that can't be right. </em> Vanya died a long time ago when they were younger. At least that's what their father had said. Unless he’d lied, of course. But everyone had assumed that was the truth because...well. This was Vanya they were talking about. Vanya was ordinary and lacked any kind of self-defense. So how had she survived this long? Where did she go? She hadn’t grown much since she last saw her. "I'm sorry. I know it's a bad time but...I need your help."</p><p>"What happened?" Allison finally said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her sister's ear. "Are you okay?” Vanya shifted nervously, looking away.</p><p>"It’s been a long week. I don't– do you have time after the funeral? It’s...it’s a long story."</p><p>"Yeah, sure. Just...I think you should probably eat something first." She looked up at her questioningly.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“You look like you haven’t eaten in a while.”</p><p>"Oh. Yeah, sure. I can do that," she responded partially to herself. Her expression changed to a more serious one as she continued. "You'll take me seriously though, right?" The actress gave her a baffled look. "Please, this means a lot to me."</p><p>"Are you in trouble?"</p><p>"Yes." Her voice wavered slightly.</p><p>"What? With who?"</p><p>"Just don't ask questions yet." Allison bit her lower lip. There was a bit of desperation in her gaze as she stared at her. There was a pause before she was asked a question. "Can I trust you?" It struck her in a way she couldn't describe. It was similar to the aching pain she'd felt when Patrick had won custody of Claire but in a different, less intimate way. She never thought she'd hear any of her siblings ask something like that.</p><p>"Of course you can. We're sisters, remember?" She pulled her into a hug. It was awkward at first since the latter didn't reciprocate the gesture until she rested her head on her chest. Only a slight trembling gave away the fact that she was afraid. Of what, Allison didn't know. "I'm glad you're here." Vanya hummed in response. For the first time in a long while, she felt safe. But like all things, it didn't last. Allison pulled away and gave her shoulder one last squeeze. "I'll be upstairs if you need me. The others might want to see you."</p><p>"Okay." Vanya watched her climb the stairs and disappear before turning towards the living room. She was hungry, yes, but not starving. She could go a little while without eating. It wasn't as though the funeral would be too long. And yet, she didn't want to converse with Pogo who'd most definitely ask about her whereabouts again. With some reluctance, she crossed the hall and glanced up at the painting of Reginald on top of the deer mount. It reminded her of Mother's portrait in the Grand Hall only the latter was much more appealing and larger than this one. She sat on the couch and rested her head on the arm. An exhausted sigh escaped her lips as she buried her face in her arms. A little nap wouldn’t hurt now, would it?</p><p>Sometime later, she awoke when the others were coming down. She lifted her head slowly, blinking to clear the fog from her eyesight. Allison sat next to her and Klaus immediately went over to the bar behind them. Luther, who was still alive, stood before them with Diego sitting nearby. Ben was nowhere to be seen and that deeply bothered her. "Um, I guess we should get this started," Luther began. "In the courtyard at sundown. Say a few words, just at Dad’s favorite spot." Vanya frowned in confusion as Allison voiced her thoughts.</p><p>"Dad had a favorite spot?"</p><p>"You know, under the oak tree. We used to sit there all the time. None of you ever did that?" Ah. Of course. Luther was Reginald's "favorite" child but only in the sense that he could mold him into something useful for his personal needs. It seemed as though the old man had created his own personal "modern Prometheus " as Mother once said during a private session. Becoming a tool, in Her eyes, was the most ignominious course of action a person could take.</p><p>"Will there be refreshments?" Klaus asked, announcing his presence by unceremoniously squeezing in with the two sisters with a cigarette and glass of beer in hand. Allison muttered something under her breath as she moved by the window. "Tea? Scones? Cucumbers are always a winner."</p><p>"What? No. And put that out. Dad didn’t allow smoking here."</p><p>"Is that my skirt?" Allison asked, focusing on his apparel. Klaus looked down.</p><p>"Oh, yeah, this. I found it in your room. It's a little dated, I know. But it's very breathy on the bits." Vanya checked her watch, wondering how much longer she'd have to sit here for. She adjusted the gloves she was wearing as Luther continued.</p><p>"Listen up. There are still some important things that we need to discuss, all right?"</p><p>"Like what?" Diego challenged.</p><p>"Like the way he died."</p><p>"And here we go."</p><p>"The last time I talked to Dad, he sounded strange."</p><p>"Oh, quelle surprise!" Klaus gurgled through his drink as he leaned back.</p><p>"Strange how?" Allison asked, ignoring him.</p><p>"He sounded on edge. Told me I should be careful who to trust." Vanya sat up, suddenly alert. Had he known Mother would be looking for her? Was this his way of warning them of the Family? Or was it a trap? A way to lure her back home?</p><p>"Luther, he was a paranoid, bitter old man who was starting to lose what was left of his marbles," Diego countered, clearly skeptical. This did not ease her fears, nor did Luther seem convinced.</p><p>"No, he must've known something was going to happen." He turned to Klaus and said, "Look, I know you don't like it but I need you to conjure Dad." The seance scoffed, leaning forward.</p><p>"I can't just call Dad in the afterlife and be like, 'Dad, could you just...stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment and take a quick call?'"</p><p>"Since when? That's your thing?"</p><p>"I'm not in the right frame of mind," he explained, though it seemed more like a whine.</p><p>"You're high?" Allison questioned, raising a brow.</p><p>"Yeah! Yeah," he laughed. "I mean, how are you not, listening to this nonsense?"</p><p>"Well, sober up, this is important," Luther ordered. Klaus sighed in resignation. "Then there's the issue of the missing monocle."</p><p>"Who gives a shit about a stupid monocle?" Allison asked.</p><p>"Exactly. It's worthless. So whoever took it, I think it was personal." Vanya shifted, burying her hands into the pocket of her coat that seemed to get hotter with every passing second. "Someone close to him, someone with a grudge." So basically everyone except for Pogo and Luther.</p><p>"Where are you going with this?" Klaus questioned.</p><p>"Isn't it obvious, Klaus? He thinks one of us killed Dad," Diego explained.</p><p>“You do?” It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if any of them had murdered the old hag. He viewed them less as children and more like things to show off; they were lab rats and the mansion was their enclosure. But it wasn’t the thought of murder that had Vanya on edge. It was the threat of being framed and imprisoned. Of all things, that was the worst possible outcome if she were accused of such a thing. Everyone would see it in the newspaper. She’d be carried off to prison or, worse, deemed ill and locked away in a mental institution. Mother would track her down easily from there. Then it was into the Pit below the Manor and–</p><p>No.</p><p>No, stop it! <em> You’re fine. You haven’t done anything yet, </em> Vanya reminded herself. She cleared her throat as she got up a bit too hastily. “This was a mistake,” she muttered under her breath. If they were so quick to accuse each other of murder, she doubted they could keep it together for the rest of the day. They were little more than sheep without a shepherd. She shouldn't have expected more from them, to begin with. <em> Idiot, what did you expect? </em> She headed for the courtyard. A tall, black statue standing at the far side of the yard caught her attention. She knew that face, she realized as she stepped closer to read the inscription at the foot of the monument. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> "May the darkness within find peace in the light." </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Benjamin Hargreeves </em>
</p><p>
  <em> 1989–2006 </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Her throat tightened as the realization began to sink in. Ben was gone along with everything else that'd given her a smudge of happiness in this terrible house. The rain started to fall as she used her powers to lift herself off the ground and hover mid-air in a cross-legged position. She should’ve stayed home. She shouldn’t have run away in the first place. She could’ve saved Ben if she hadn’t left for the mansion. Frustrated with herself for being a fool, with the Academy for not saving her second favorite sibling from death, and the rain for getting her hair and coat wet, she sat beneath the old oak tree Luther mentioned to shield herself. She could hear the muffled sound of Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” playing from inside. It gave her an odd sensation of nostalgia and grief for a time when Five and Ben were still around and they’d sneak off to Griddy’s together at night. She pulled her legs closer to her chest and rested her head on her knees. Halfway through the song, the hairs on the back of her neck rose. Dark clouds covered the sky as thunder that was definitely not hers rumbled ominously and a blue light flashed above the courtyard. Well, this was new. Vanya leaped off the branch as the light morphed into a portal. A familiar blue portal, to be exact. She backed up as the others rushed outside. “Don’t get too close!” Allison warned over the roar of the wind.</p><p>“Yeah, no shit,” Diego said sarcastically.</p><p>“Looks like some sort of temporal anomaly,” Luther guessed, standing in front of them. “Either that or a miniature black hole. One of the two.”<em> A black hole? Really, Luther? </em></p><p>“Pretty big difference there, Paul Bunyan.”</p><p>“Out of the way!” Klaus called, before throwing a fire extinguisher at the portal.</p><p>“What is <em> that </em>gonna do?” Allison asked, baffled.</p><p>“I don’t know. Do you have a better idea?” Electricity crackled from somewhere but Vanya couldn’t see where it was coming from. She did, however, see something – or some<em>one</em> – appear on the other side.</p><p>“Everybody get behind me,” Luther ordered.</p><p>“Yeah, get behind us," Diego added.</p><p>“I vote for running,” Klaus suggested, which would’ve been a great idea if Vanya weren’t rooted to the spot by fear. She felt as though a heavy stone had dropped to the pit of her stomach. Yes, there was most definitely someone on the other side trying to get through to them. Their face flickered from old to young for a few seconds before finally settling on the latter. With great strain, they- no, <em> he </em>finally forced his way through and toppled to the ground.</p><p>Vanya felt her mouth grow dry as Klaus asked, “Does anyone else see little Number Five, or is that just me?” Five, who was very much there and not some fucked up hallucination, glanced down at the oversized suit and tie he had on and looked back up at them.</p><p>“Shit,” he hissed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Prodigal Son</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Hargreeves pay their respects and Vanya makes a necessary decision in her eyes.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When she was younger and more naive, Vanya had imagined that Five would show up at the Academy (and later the Manor) where she’d give him the biggest bear hug she could muster and everything would be normal again. As she grew older, she realized that that was a stupid fantasy that'd come to fruition. Five was never coming back, she'd told herself over and over again for the next few years.. Despite Mother's cryptic assurance that he was still alive and Her promise to bring him back, she still believed him to be dead. Seeing him alive and well, stirred something within her. There was an unnerving lump of dread nestled in her chest as she lingered behind on the way to the kitchen. Ironically, she wasn't prepared to talk to him just yet or hear what he had to say. Where'd he been? Had he met Mother? Was that how he was still alive? What had She said to him? Vanya watched Five take out a bag of bread from the fridge and ask, “What’s the date? The <em> exact </em>date.”</p><p>“The twenty-fourth,” she responded, sitting in front of Allison</p><p>“Of what?”</p><p>“March.” Five paused, considering this briefly in his head. That gave him eight days which wasn't much but it was enough to round them up, find out who's responsible for the apocalypse, and make some sort of plan to prevent it from happening.</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>“So are we gonna talk about what just happened?” Luther asked. <em> No. </em> They wouldn’t understand. Five doubted they could imagine a glimpse of what the future held for them. He was not going to subject them to the same fate he’d been put through. Luther stood, looming in front of him to block his way. “It’s been seventeen years.” Seventeen? <em> Oh, I fucking wish. </em></p><p>“It’s been a lot longer than that.” He didn’t need to focus much anymore to teleport behind him to get to the peanut butter.</p><p>“I haven’t missed that.”</p><p>“Where’d you go?” Diego asked.</p><p>“The future,” he responded, sparing him the horrific details. “It’s shit, by the way.”</p><p>“Called it!” Klaus cried.</p><p>“I should’ve listened to the old man. You know, jumping through space is one thing, jumping through time is a toss of the dice.” Five glanced at Klaus. “Nice dress.”</p><p>“Oh, well, danke.”</p><p>“Wait how did you get back?” Vanya asked, confused. She was still trying to wrap her head around how Mother could have possibly known that Five was still alive.</p><p>“In the end, I had to project my consciousness forward into a suspended quantum state version of myself that exists across every possible instance of time,” he explained, not bothering to look at her as he made a marshmallow-peanut butter sandwich. She could tell he was avoiding giving them the real answer. Mother did that often when she didn’t like the question someone had asked her.</p><p>“That makes no sense,” Diego commented.</p><p>“Well, it would if you were smarter.” He stood up, ready to do something stupid but Luther blocked him with his arm.</p><p>“How long were you there?” Luther asked.</p><p>“Forty-five years, give or take.”</p><p>“No, my consciousness is 58. Apparently, my body is now 13 again.”</p><p>“How does that even work?” Vanya inquired, hoping to get something useful out of all this.</p><p>“Delores kept saying the equations were off.” Five took a bite of his sandwich. Vanya’s frown deepened. She couldn’t recall anyone going by that name. They must be new. Five picked up the newspaper and hummed. “Guess I missed the funeral.”</p><p>“How’d you know about that?” Luther asked.</p><p>“What part of the future do you not understand?” Five responded snarkily. He paused to read the obituary. “Heart failure, huh?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Diego answered just as Luther said, “No.” Five clicked his tongue.</p><p>“Nice to see nothing’s changed.”</p><p>As he began to leave, Allison said, “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”</p><p>“What else is there to say? The circle of life.” There was a brief moment of silence as they all processed what just happened.</p><hr/><p>It was around later that evening when they decided to have the funeral. Vanya stared at the mound of white ash that was once their father with contempt as rain poured on it. Pogo asked if any of them wanted to say anything but since she had said everything she’d needed to say the night before, she kept her mouth shut. "In all regards, Sir Reginald Hargreeves made me what I am today. For that alone, I shall forever be in his debt. He was my master and my friend, and I shall miss him very much." Vanya narrowed her eyes at him as he continued. "He leaves behind a complicated history..."</p><p>"He was a monster," Diego cut in. "He was a bad person and a worse father. The world's better off without him."</p><p>"Diego," Allison warned</p><p>"My <em> name </em> is Number Two. You know why? Because our father couldn't bother to give us actual names. He had Mom do it."</p><p>"Would anyone like something to eat?" Grace asked in an attempt to ease the tension.</p><p>"We're fine, Grace," Vanya assured, keeping her voice calm.</p><p>"Oh, okay."</p><p>"Look, you wanna pay your respects? Go ahead," Diego continued. "At least be honest about the kind of man he was."</p><p>"You should stop talking now," Luther commanded. His rival turned to face him. Vanya couldn’t help but sigh, seeing where this was going.</p><p>"You know, you of all people should be on my side here, Number One."</p><p>"I am warning you."</p><p>"After everything he did to you? He had to ship you a million miles away."</p><p>"Diego, stop talking."</p><p>"That's how much he couldn't stand the sight of you!" Before anyone could react, Luther swung at him. Vanya hissed a curse under her breath as she backed up to avoid getting hit by one, or both, of the quarreling brothers who clearly didn’t seem to be in the mood for any kind of civil conversation. Klaus, who was enjoying himself, was very successful in encouraging the squabble to continue for longer than it needed to be. Allison and Five didn’t even bother to attempt to break it up. They just stood there, watching with mild disinterest as though waiting for One and Two to get over themselves and continue the funeral. Not even Pogo tried to do anything, though she wasn’t all that surprised since he was usually complicit in most things regarding the children.</p><p>The increasing wind brushed her hair back as she paced restlessly, muttering to herself. Her first thought was to use her telekinesis to force them apart but refrained from doing so. She didn’t feel comfortable showcasing them to others. Especially not to her siblings who’d ask questions that would inevitably lead to the topic of where she’d been this whole time. Thunder rumbled lightly as the fight carried on. Although it was silly of her, she was afraid one of them might end up seriously hurt or worse. Once more, Luther tried to swing at Diego. Instinctively, Vanya lunged, barreling into the latter and pulling him to the ground before any further harm could be done. Luther's fist collided with Ben’s statue, causing it to fall over and break. "You idiot!" she snarled, glaring at Diego who was stunned by his sister's sudden aggression. "Don’t you know better than to pick a fight with Luther? I could've lost you too." She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and turned to face the alleged "leader" of the group. "You should be ashamed of yourselves," she said before storming back inside, muttering to herself in Russian.</p><p>"Vanya," Allison called, going after her. "Vanya, wait." She grabbed her arm to slow her pace. "You're not leaving, are you?" She didn't want her to go so soon after asking for help. "You said we had to talk, remember?" Vanya exhaled.</p><p>"Yes. Sorry, I...those two distracted me," she responded in a tone that suggested she was trying to quell her anger. Allison gingerly tucked her sister's hair behind her ear as she checked her over. She frowned slightly as her fingers brushed against a cut that seemed to be healing by her temple. Vanya jerked away. "Can we go upstairs? I don't want anyone hearing about this." She was already on her way to the stairs before Allison could form any sort of reply. Worry wormed through her heart as she followed her to her room. She had so many questions to ask. Five had been so dismissive of them all in the kitchen. Would Vanya be the same? How much had she changed over the past few decades?</p><p>The first thing Vanya did upon entering her sister's room was to lock the door and close the curtains to her windows before sitting at the head of the bed. Allison sat next to her, anxiously waiting for her to say something. There was a moment of silence before the brunette finally spoke. "I think...I think somebody's trying to kidnap me." Okay. That was not the thing Allison was expecting to hear.</p><p>"I'm– what are you talking about?"</p><p>"There's this group that's spying on me and I really need your help." She frowned a little. This was...concerning. Why would anyone want to kidnap Vanya? Unless…unless they were holding her for ransom? And what did she want her to do?</p><p>"I can't rumor people anymore if that's what you're asking," she said apologetically. "After what happened with Claire-"</p><p>"Claire?"</p><p>"My daughter. You don’t know about her?"</p><p>"Oh." Vanya leaned back a little. A shadow of grief crossed her eyes as though she were remembering a painful memory. "I'm...sorry," she murmured. "I didn't…"</p><p>"It's fine. She's with her father for now until I finish up therapy."</p><p>"You‐ no, nevermind. I just need a ticket to get out of here."</p><p>"You should stay here until we can figure things out and make a plan."</p><p>"What plan? I just need you to buy me a ticket for Russia. It's not that hard."</p><p>“Okay, and what if they hijack the plane?” Vanya didn’t respond. “If there are people after you, you’re going to need our help.” From her pocket, she pulled out a small bracelet that had a wooden carving of a bird and fiddled with it. Allison squeezed her hands. “I promise I’ll do whatever I can to keep you safe.” Vanya shifted slightly, rubbing the magpie's head with her thumb as she weighed her options. She could leave, find some other place to live for a short while, and keep up this never-ending game of hide and seek with Mother. Or, she could stay here and risk getting her family killed. None of them were very appealing. "You can trust me, you know." <em> Why should I? </em> she wanted to ask. Allison had rumored her when they were children before. She had no problem using it on her daughter. Why was she stopping now? But what choice did she have? She nodded in agreement, though she kept her doubts and fears to herself. She wouldn’t be alone this time, she tried to tell herself. She had allies that could help her.  Of course, three of said allies were incompetent fools who’d rather let their powers go to waste than use them properly but at least Five still seemed to have a hang on his spatial jumps. Still, she didn’t know if Allison’s celibacy would be a weakness or not. The bracelet Cedar had given her back when they were teens was still held firmly in her grip. She stuffed it in her pocket as she stood and said, "I'm going to pick up my things from a friend's."</p><p>"You sure that's a good idea?"</p><p>"It's a great idea." She unlocked the door and added before leaving, "Ask Five if anyone asked for me."</p><hr/><p>Vanya flicked on the light switch as she caught the whiff of something cooking on the stove. She set her keys next to the lamp beside her. "Opal? Is that you, dear?" a voice called from the kitchen.</p><p>"Hey, Meema," Vanya murmured, taking her shoes off before moving to greet the old woman at the kitchen stove. She gave a light hug and kissed her forehead. "Sorry I'm late. The conductor had me stay a bit longer."</p><p>"You didn't get in trouble, did you?"</p><p>"Of course not. What's for dinner tonight?" She glanced at the pot full of broth and other ingredients.</p><p>"It's chicken soup, your favorite. You can have some if you like." She forced a smile and tried not to flinch as the demented woman patted her shoulder. Slowly, she inched for the cabinet where she kept her knives.</p><p>"You're the best, you know that?" Meema chuckled and reached for a bowl.</p><p>"Oh, I don't know about that," she replied. "I do know that you're the best daughter I could ask for."</p><p>"You flatter me." The knife hovers close to the floor as she goes on to talk about how Opal had been born. Her back was turned now as she poured her serving. Vanya pulled the chair out for her to sit in and reached for the handle. "You've been a great help, you know. I don't know what I'd do without you."</p><p>"Oh, well–" Meema turned and noticed the weapon in her hand. The blade sliced smoothly through her neck and settled on the table as she sank to her knees. Vanya crouched to meet her horrified gaze.</p><p>"Thank you for your hospitality," she murmured, watching the old woman collapse into the pool of her own blood. She stepped back as the liquid almost touched her socks. Carefully, she walked around it and took the bowl on the table as the knife slid into the corpse's hand. A small smile formed as she tasted the food. Perfect. <em> Mother would be proud, </em> a tiny voice at the back of her mind commented. <em> But we didn't do this for Her. </em> This was a necessity, much like everything else she'd done after…<em>that. </em> <em> This is necessary in order for us to survive, </em> she reminded herself as she packed her things and poured the soup into a container.</p><p>
  <em> It's a necessity. We can't let them find us. </em>
</p><p>She took the gasoline and dumped it across the apartment floor.</p><p>
  <em> It's for survival. </em>
</p><p>She lit a match and watched the flames spread across the carpet floor before locking the door behind her as she left for the mansion.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Istanbul (Not Constantinople)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Five tells Vanya about the apocalypse; naturally, the latter is hesitant to believe him.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Five was crouched by the fridge, looking through the food rack when Allison walked in and asked, "Has Vanya come back yet?"</p><p>"I don't think so," Klaus responded. "Why?"</p><p>"She said there were people who were spying on her." Five stood up, quickly forgetting about his search for coffee.</p><p>"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, turning towards her. She explained everything Vanya had told her and sat at the table. "You let her go by herself?" Five nearly hissed, thinking of the numerous outcomes this could bring.</p><p>"She didn't listen to me when I tried to warn her."</p><p>"What else did she say?"</p><p>"She wanted to know if anyone asked for her."</p><p>"No." His brows furrowed in confusion. "Why would she…?" Allison shrugged.</p><p>"All she told me was that someone was stalking her for some reason."</p><p>"So no leads."</p><p>"No." Five exhaled as he ran a hand through his hair. Great. First the apocalypse, now this. He grabbed the keys on the counter.</p><p>"Where are you going?" Klaus asked, sitting up slowly.</p><p>"Where do you think I'm going?" Five answered before teleporting to the van. He turned the engine on and drove down the road. Where would he go if he were hiding from someone? No, wrong question. Where would Vanya go? Frankly, he didn't know. He wasn't certain how she'd managed to find out that she was being stalked. Someone must've tipped her off somehow. What troubled him the most was why anyone would want to target her of all people. The last time he checked, there was nothing particularly outstanding about her. Of course, he could be wrong. She was different from the mousy little girl he'd grown up with. The Vanya he knew wouldn't have broken up the fight at the funeral the way she had. This one though, she was more assertive and angry. He'd heard Klaus mention she'd run away after he got stuck in the future. He had an idea as to why.</p><p>The van slowed as he came to the bus stop by the bowling alley. Without a word, Vanya slipped into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut. "Where'd you go?" he asked, starting the vehicle up again. She glanced at him as she put her seat belt on.</p><p>"A friend's," she responded. "You shouldn't be driving, you know."</p><p>"And you shouldn't be wandering off by yourself with creeps trying to kill you." She looked a little surprised but didn't say anything else as she turned away. "How long have they been after you?" There was a long moment of silence before she answered.</p><p>"Six months."</p><p>“What did the police say?”</p><p>Silence.</p><p>“Vanya.”</p><p>“I didn’t go to the station. She would’ve-” She stopped, realizing that she’d given away valuable information. Five glanced at her briefly. So this person was a woman who, judging by her comment, had some history with her.</p><p>“You think she would’ve killed them?”</p><p>“Or worse.”</p><p>“Worse?”</p><p>“There’s plenty of things worse than death, Five.” His grip tightened on the steering wheel as they stopped at a red light. If there was one thing worse than dying, it was being surrounded by death for the rest of your life, knowing that eventually, you’ll have to bury your family again.<br/>It hadn’t been long since he’d been “rescued” from the apocalyptic wasteland he’d been forced to call home for forty-five years. The smell of smoke and decomposing corpses was still fresh in his mind. He could see them still. Their lifeless bodies under the rubble of the academy would forever haunt him in both his dreams and waking hours.</p><p>“Right. Of course. So who is she? And why target you of all people?"</p><p>"I don't want to talk about it," Vanya muttered, shifting so that her back was facing him. She pulled her hoodie over her head. Five frowned. What do you mean you don't want to talk about it? he wanted to ask. You're just going to ignore me like that?</p><p>"You're just going to let them kidnap you, huh?" he queried. "I don't think Diego's gonna be there to save you again." She grumbled something he couldn't understand but it sounded like he'd hit a nerve. "At least tell me who's after you. A location would be great." Vanya didn't say anything at first. She should tell him everything. He'd been her sole confidant for a good chunk of her life, after all. She could still trust him.</p><p>"They’re called the Family," she said after a moment. "I don't recommend seeking them out."</p><p>"Of course you don't. You–"</p><p>"That's not what I meant." She turned to face him. "They want you to find them since it saves time and energy. I don't know what She'll do if– when She finds out you're helping me." There was a moment of silence before she sighed and leaned back against the chair. Five had always been arrogant, even as a child. Most days, he wouldn't listen to any of them. It was how he'd got stuck in the future. He didn't listen to her when she tried to warn him. She had a feeling he'd do the same even now. "I hope your little stunt at the dinner table taught you something valuable."</p><p>"It did."</p><p>"Thank the stars." Five inhaled as his voice turned grim.</p><p>"You want to know what I found in the future?"</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. As far as I could tell, I was the last person alive. I never figured out what killed the human race, but," he paused briefly, "I did find something else. The date it happens." Vanya sat up, feeling a lump of dread begin to form as her brother continued. He glanced at her. "The world ends in eight days and I have no idea how to stop it." A chill ran down her spine. Doomsday. The end of all things. She remembered Mother mentioning something similar to that once. It was before she had become disillusioned and still clung to the idea that the Family had good intentions.</p><p>"You have a very special gift, dear," She’d said in that warm, soothing tone of Hers. "You have the capacity to wipe out all life on this planet in a matter of minutes." Vanya tried not to stiffen as She ran a hand through her hair.</p><p>“I don’t...have to end the world, do I?” she asked tentatively, subtly taking a tiny step back. Mother narrowed her eyes.</p><p>“All things must die eventually. One day the universe will collapse in on itself and dissolve back into the void it once was. The Earth is no different."</p><p>"...oh."</p><p>"You mustn't be afraid of the inevitable. Fear is futile in the eyes of fate. You understand that, don't you?" Vanya's gaze dropped as a wave of shame washed over her.</p><p>"Yes, Mother."</p><p>"Vanya!" Five barked, startling her. He had an agitated look on his face. "You zoned out on me."</p><p>"I'm sorry, I just… nevermind. You were talking about the apocalypse, right?"</p><p>"I was explaining how I had to survive on scraps. Canned food, cockroaches, anything I could find." Vanya would’ve grimaced and commented on how disgusting that sounded but she was in no place to judge. She'd spent a few weeks on a diet of undercooked rats; roaches probably tasted better than that. "You know that rumor that Twinkies have an endless shelf life? Well, it's total bullshit." She raised a brow.</p><p>"Don’t tell me you believed that," she scoffed.</p><p>"What do I look like? A moron? Of course not! You do whatever it takes to survive or you die. So we adapted." Doesn't that sound familiar? Isn't that what you said earlier? Shut up. Nobody asked for your opinion. Vanya figured whoever this "we" her brother was referring to wasn't an actual human. She hoped it was an animal that survived somehow. A tarantula sounded like a nice pet. "Whatever the world threw at us, we found a way to overcome it." For a long moment, she didn't know what to say. Mother's words kept nagging at her. She couldn’t go back to the Manor if what Five said was true. She hoped it wasn't so. She hoped he was just tired and needed a good nap. Maybe he'd just imagined it. Maybe he was wrong.<em> Maybe not,</em> her thoughts replied.<em> Maybe this is what She wants. Maybe She's right.</em> No, no, no. Mother couldn't have known about that. She couldn't have known about Five's return and...well <em>this</em>, could she? Five frowned as he slowed his driving. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?" he asked.</p><p>"No, no. This is just…" Vanya sighed, running a hand through her hair. How was she supposed to explain the fact that the apocalypse was probably what She wanted? Would preventing it be equivalent to stopping Her? "This is a lot to take in."</p><p>“Exactly what don’t you understand?”</p><p>“Nothing. I just…forget it. I’ve got enough on my mind already.”</p><p>“Chances are, those same guys that are after you might have something to do with the apocalypse.” Vanya unbuckled her seatbelt as they drew closer to the academy mansion.</p><p>“You might be right about that.”</p><p>“So? Are you going to help me or not?” She paused as the van came to a stop.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>“I said no.” She slung her violin case over her shoulder as she got out and pushed the passenger door shut.</p><p>“The world is ending in eight days. Do you have any idea what that means for us?” Five teleported in front of her just as she took a step forward.</p><p>“If you’re right about my pursuers being the cause of the apocalypse then it’s best we play it safe.” She shoved past him and pushed the door. Five almost looked dumbfounded as she held it open for him. “Are you coming?”</p><p>“No thanks. I’ve got places to be.” He got into the driver seat and started the engine again.</p><p>“Where are you going??”</p><p>“To get a decent cup of coffee.” Vanya was pretty sure caffeine was bad for thirteen-year-olds but she didn’t think he’d listen to her concerns. She went back inside and made sure to lock the door before heading upstairs to unpack her things. She listened to the car drive off in the distance before going upstairs. As she made her way down the hall to their old room, she abruptly stopped. The doorway to her room was nothing more than a cemented wall. The door frame had either been removed or cemented over. It was as though Reginald wanted to erase any trace of her existence from the house. She turned and poked her head into Klaus' room. There was more space in here than she remembered. She could even see the brick wall that was once hers. She scowled, slammed the door, and headed for Reginald’s room. Of course, she thought bitterly. Of course, he would do something like this. Of all the other options, he chose this one. He could’ve given her a new room or expanded the old one. Instead, he had it demolished just to spite her. Which, you know, was fine. It wasn’t a big deal. It’s not like you liked it in the first place. She remembered asking on a few occasions if she could switch to a more spacious room. Reginald had given her a disapproving look before returning to whatever he was doing and responded with a blunt no.</p><p>Vanya shook her head and cleared her mind. There was no time to mull over little trifles. She was free from her father’s reign. He was nothing more than dirt underneath the heels of her boots. She could do whatever she wanted here. She was her own person now. Exhaling through her nose, she climbed the stairs and traversed the long hallway, only pausing to gaze briefly at the trophy room. Whenever she passed by this place she always felt the familiar pang of exclusion and envy. It had always served as a reminder of her “ordinariness” and lack of powers. The longer she looked at the trophies and news articles about the Umbrella Academy, the more it felt as though they were just there to mock her. Look at all the things you could’ve had, they seemed to sneer. You could’ve been up there with your siblings if your father hadn’t been such a coward. Everyone would’ve loved you. She glared at the photo of the Academy’s first debut photos. “I’m afraid there’s just nothing special about you,” Reginald had told her with disinterest. The glass casing on one of the displays nearby cracked, startling her a little.</p><p>“We should leave,” she murmured to herself. Vanya quickened her pace as she continued on, shoving the bitterness away. That was a long time ago. Why are you letting it get to your head now? Frankly, she didn’t know. She’d expected to be more comfortable with herself and be less affected by all this and yet, for one reason or another, she almost reverted back to her old self the moment she saw Reginald again. You’re not a little kid anymore, she reminded herself. You’re an adult so act like one.</p><p>She let out a breath before pushing open the door to his room. A frown immediately appeared on her face as she took in the scene. It was the same as it had been the night before minus the corpse on the bed a few misplaced objects. She set her things next to the door and examined the tea tray on the bed. The poisoned drink was now cold albeit still deadly. Carefully, Vanya took the tray and put it on the desk by the window. She rearranged a few things and closed the blinds before taking her clothes from her suitcase and put them in the nearest drawer. After putting everything away, she took the tray to the kitchen and dumped the laced tea into the sink. Pogo dipped his head in greeting as she passed. “I took care of the tea,” she assured.</p><p>“Thank you.” He paused. “If you ever need anything…”</p><p>“Good night, Pogo,” she interrupted, not wanting to continue the conversation.</p><p>“Good night, Miss Vanya,” the talking chimp sighed as she left the room.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Secrets and Lies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Vanya goes through the security footage in the surveillance and checks in on Five. Allison discusses her concerns with Luther and the two decide to hold a meeting about Vanya's dilemma.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Vanya finds herself back at the ballroom. Blood drips from her trembling hands as she carefully picks her way through the bodies littered across the marble floor, making sure not to trip over a limb. Her eyes are glued to the floor as she steps closer to Her. “Well done,” Mother says, pushing back a strand of hair from her face. She crouches to meet her gaze and presses Her thumb underneath her chin, forcing her to meet Her gaze. “You did better than last time.” A smile forms on Her lips as She adds, “I’ll have to reward you for that.” Vanya trembles as she opens her mouth to speak but a hand snatches her ankle before a word can form. She yelps as the hand yanks her down and the corpses begin to move. Her breathing quickens as she realizes that they’re trying to drag her under. Desperately, she tries to claw her way up but her victims are intent on drowning her. “Does this feel familiar, Number Seven?” Mother’s voice asks next to her ear though it’s impossible to see Her through the mass of angry zombies’ distorted faces blocking her vision. “Do you remember?” Vanya lets out a panicked cry as she feels an infant’s limp body beneath one of her hands. She tries to get her hand free but it’s stuck like glue as the corpse starts to melt and decay.</p><p> </p><p>Vanya bolted upright, gripping the sheets of the bed. For a moment she didn’t know where she was until she caught a glimpse of a painting of Reginald. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe but she only saw the images of the corpses’ twisted, ugly faces. The sound of clicking heels nearby made her sit upright. She eased a little once she realized that it was just Grace.</p><p>"Good morning, dear," the robot said, smiling politely. She paused and her smile quickly faded. "Oh, dear. Is everything alright? You seem upset." Vanya flinched as she touched her cheek but didn’t look away.</p><p>"Just a bad dream," she mumbled, gently taking her hand. "I'm...I'm okay." For a moment Grace didn't respond. Vanya frowned slightly and tapped her temple. The robot blinked as a tiny mechanical sound occurred briefly. She smiled.</p><p>"I'll make cookies," she suggested, squeezing her hand. "That'll cheer you up." She gave her another smile before leaving. Vanya sighed and ran a hand through her hair before checking the time. 4:08 AM. A thought suddenly struck her. The cameras. Of course, how could she have forgotten that so easily? She slipped on the robe and fuzzy slippers Grace had given her the night before and quickly made her way down the hall to the surveillance room. She closed the door behind her and started going through the tapes on the table. She was a little miffed that some of them weren’t labeled. On some of the monitors, her siblings chased each other around the house and acted like children for once instead of weapons. Ben squealed as Five teleported behind him and tackled him to the floor. On another monitor, a younger version of herself practiced a piece on her violin. Occasionally, her brows would twitch in annoyance due to the loud noise outside her room.</p><p>Vanya’s hand hovered over the eject button on the VCR as she watched Ben chase after Five in hot pursuit. After a moment, she took out the tape and replaced it with another one. She leaned forward a little, tilting her head slightly as she listened to Five and Luther talk about time travel. “So he knew,” she whispered, trying to catch what little conversation she could hear above the overlapping noises in the recording. Five had spoken to Luther about his attempt at time travel before he got himself stuck and Reginald had known. Did he intend for him to get stuck in the apocalypse? If so, why? What was the goal? She soon found herself going through all the tapes she could find in an attempt to find some answers to her questions and get a recap of sorts of the last seventeen years. She leaned back in her seat as she watched her siblings continue on with their lives. There had been one instance in which Ben had asked where she’d gone and was quickly chastised for asking. Besides that, no one seemed too concerned about her whereabouts. Dismay washed over her as she quickly realized that he, too, had lost interest in her fate. Of course, they would forget about her. It was only logical, after all. They’d been conditioned into believing she was worthless. Why would they think otherwise? She went through a few more tapes before one of them caught her eye.<strong> 23, March 2019.</strong> Of course. It <em>would</em> be labeled. She quickly got to work and started taking it apart as the surveillance footage on the monitors played in the background. When she was done, she stuffed the tape reel in her pocket and put the remaining pieces in the trash bin before heading back to bed.</p><p>The next morning, Vanya made sure to check on Five. She hadn’t seen him since their last encounter and was worried he might’ve done something reckless during the night. He seemed so convinced that the apocalypse was going to happen, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was right. Maybe the world was going to end in eight days. Maybe Mother was right about her powers and their destructive nature. But that would mean acknowledging the fact that She still had some sort of power over her even to this day. It was equivalent to accepting defeat and she wasn't going to prove her father right by crawling back to Her.</p><p>Five had not woken up yet by the time she got to his room. Half of his blanket dropped to the floor and his fingers twitched ever so slightly as he whimpered in his sleep. Gently, she pried the prosthetic eye from his hand and set it on the nightstand before fixing the blanket and properly tucking him in. She sat beside him, tucking her feet underneath the covers but keeping a respectable distance. The least she could do was keep him company until he awoke. It didn't take long, thankfully. The thirteen-year-old sat up, trembling for a moment as he steadied his breathing. "Hey," Vanya murmured softly, tentatively placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don’t worry, it's over now." Five looked at her with mild puzzlement.</p><p>"What are you doing here?"</p><p>"You were having a nightmare. I didn't want you to be by yourself when you woke up."</p><p>"I'm not a child," he responded, sounding slightly offended.</p><p>"Your body says otherwise." He scowled at her and got up from the bed, seemingly intent on going somewhere since the first thing he took was the eye on the table. "I can still trust you, right?" He turned, giving her an odd look. She leaned forward a little, fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. This is so stupid. "I mean– I can rely on you to be there for me when I need you, right?"</p><p>"Why are you asking?"</p><p>"I've been told a lot of things and…" She paused, trying to form the words properly. Why was it so hard to talk to him now? It wasn't so hard back then. "I don't know if–" She stopped. "No, sorry. This was- this is stupid. I’ll just go." She got off the bed and started for the door. Five grabbed her wrist.</p><p>"Hey. If I didn't care about you, I wouldn't have come back." He stared at her sincerely as he added in a quieter tone, "I wouldn't have buried you all if I didn't give a shit about you." Vanya could feel his hand trembling as he tightened his grip on her, as though it would convince him that she was still alive and real. Wordlessly, she pulled him into a hug and buried her face into his shoulder. He looked like he needed it. "Thanks," he whispered, pulling away from her after a moment. He cleared his throat and gave her shoulder a firm squeeze. "You can trust me with anything. You always have.”</p><p>“I know,” Vanya murmured, not meeting his gaze. She wanted to say something else, to apologize for being so dismissive last night but no words came to mind. “Do you need anything?” she said instead, glancing briefly at the eye still clutched in his hand. “Coffee? I could get you something from the kitchen.”</p><p>“It’d be great if you told me anything useful about that group of yours.”</p><p>“I already told you more than you should. What more do you need?”</p><p>“Names would be great. Or, at least a face.” Vanya glanced over her shoulder as she heard Luther’s heavy footsteps. She sighed, glancing back at the time-traveler. “If anyone can keep a secret, it’s me.” She dug her nails into the painted wood of the doorframe.</p><p>“Meet me in the kitchen,” she responded at last. “I’m making breakfast.”</p><p>“I thought Mom was.”</p><p>“She’s malfunctioning again so until she gets fixed, I’m taking care of the food around here.” Five’s brows furrowed slightly.</p><p>“They really fucked you up back there, didn’t they?” he asked. Vanya couldn’t help but nod in agreement.</p><p>“S’pose they did,” she responded quietly before heading downstairs.</p><p> </p><p>Allison frowned at the unzipped suitcase sitting on her bed, shaking her leg as she thought about what to do next. She’d missed her therapy session to go to her father’s funeral. If she went back now, she was sure she’d be able to catch the next appointment. Then, she’d be able to see Claire again and introduce her to the rest of her family. But Vanya needs your help, a voice at the back of her mind said. Vanya always needed their help. It was the reason she wasn’t allowed on missions when they were younger. She was just ordinary. Don’t be selfish, she thought to herself, shaking the thought away. I promised I’d help her. Besides, this could affect all of us, not just her. A knock at the door disturbed her from her thoughts. She looked up as Luther walked in and smiled a little. “Hi,” he greeted.</p><p>“Hey,” she said, folding a shirt she had in her hands and putting it back in her suitcase.</p><p>“You know, it’s funny. I’ve had the same routine for the last four years. Now that I’m back down here, I’m quite sure what to do with myself.”</p><p>“I know the feeling.” She took a pair of pants and started folding them to distract her.</p><p>“Well, you must be eager to see Claire, huh?”</p><p>“I didn’t think it was possible to miss a person this much.” She paused as she closed her suitcase. “But I’ve got some things I need to do before I can see her. You know, someday I’d really love for you to meet her.”</p><p>“Me?” Luther asked. Allison looked up at him, a small smile tugging at her lips.</p><p>“Yes, you,” she chuckled, folding her arms. “Why not?”</p><p>“Well, does Claire even know about me?”</p><p>“What are you talking about? Of course, she does.”</p><p>“I know, it’s just that,” Luther fiddled with the thing in his hands, “when you left, it seemed like all you wanted to do was forget this place ever existed, so…”</p><p>“This place, yes, Allison clarified. “But not you. When Claire was little, I used to read her books about the moon. I’d tell her her uncle was living up there. That he was...protecting us from harm.” She chuckled softly at the memory of Claire getting excited whenever she mentioned him in any of their stories.</p><p>“Really?” Luther’s eyes seemed to brighten a little.</p><p>“I mean, you were her own personal superhero. You know, after all this time, I know she would love to meet you.” There was a long awkward moment of silence between the two. Allison cleared her throat and ran a hand through her hair. “Um, anyways. I was thinking about something yesterday,” she started. “We should hold a family meeting soon.”</p><p>“You mean about Dad’s monocle?”</p><p>“What? No! He died of a heart attack, Luther. Don’t-” She shook her head. “It’s about Vanya.” Luther frowned in confusion.</p><p>“What about Vanya?”</p><p>“I’m worried she might’ve gotten involved in something. I don’t know what it is but…”</p><p>“Wait, what are you talking about?”</p><p>“Yesterday, she came to me asking for help. She said there was this...group that was after her.”</p><p>“Hold on, this isn’t making any sense. Why would anyone want to go after Vanya of all people?”<br/>
“I-I don’t know. She just...she seemed really scared and...paranoid.” Allison sighed as she headed out of the room. “She asked if she could trust me when we first met.”</p><p>“Okay,” Luther said slowly. “So we hold a meeting and ask her about what’s going on, right? Shouldn’t be too hard.” Allison hummed but didn’t say anything else. She had a feeling it wouldn’t be that easy. “C’mon, let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.”</p><p>“You’re always starving,” she teased, nudging him with her elbow.</p><p>“No, I’m not!” She chuckled and rolled her eyes. Sure thing, Luther.</p><p>Vanya was already at the stove when they got to the kitchen. “Hey, sis,” Allison greeted, taking a seat at the table. She tilted her head and leaned forward a little to see what she was doing.</p><p>“Where’s Mom?” Luther asked. “Shouldn’t she be around?”</p><p>The brunette didn’t look back at them as she responded by saying, “She’s charging still.”</p><p>“Oh. So, uh, what’s for breakfast then? Pancakes?”</p><p>“Hm.” Allison and Luther exchanged glances, silently bantering with each other to see who would be the first to talk. She exhaled softly before straightening up a little.</p><p>“Hey, so Luther and I were talking earlier,” she started. “I think we should have a family meeting about this-”</p><p>“No, you–” Vanya turned to face her. “You can’t just...no. No, you’re not holding a family meeting.”</p><p>“Why not?” Luther challenged. “I mean, you said it yourself. There’s people who want to hurt you, or worse. The best option is for us to form a plan and-”</p><p>“This isn’t another one of your stupid little missions where you kill the bad guy and go home. You weren’t there, you didn’t see what I saw. You don’t get it.” It was clear from the anger and desperation on her face that she was trying her absolute best to convince them to do anything but that.</p><p>“So what do you want us to do?” Allison asked, sitting at the table. “If we do nothing, we’re an easy target.” Vanya didn’t say anything. Instead, she started mixing the continents in the bowl next to the stove with more force than needed. “You don’t have a plan, do you?” Silence. Allison shared a look with Luther. “I think a meeting’s the best choice we have. Besides, this is the kind of stuff Dad trained us for.”</p><p>“Yeah, I mean. If anyone’s got a chance at stopping these guys, it’s us,” he agreed. There was a pause as they waited for Vanya to respond. When she didn’t Allison spoke up.</p><p>“Okay. So it’s agreed then. We have a meeting and see what happens then. Sounds good?” She looked at her sister who started to protest but didn’t finish the thought she had.</p><p>“Fine,” she said quietly. “It’s better this way.”</p><p>“Alright. I’ll, uh, go get the others and we’ll talk here,” Luther said before leaving to find the rest of the team.</p><p>Allison glanced at the bowl in her sister’s hand and asked, “You mind if I help out? I promise I won’t burn anything.” She stood beside her and turned the stove on. “So where were you all this time?" she asked quietly. "I mean, why didn't you come back until now?" Vanya didn't answer as she poured a portion of the mix into the heated pan. "You know this is the best choice we have, right? If you really want these people to stop harassing you, you're going to have to trust us. Hiding isn’t going to do anything."</p><p>“You think I don’t know that?” she challenged, glaring at her. “I’m not a stupid kid anymore.”</p><p>“I never said you were. I’m just worried you’ve gotten into something you can’t get out of. Just tell me who–"</p><p>"I don't know who they are. I don't know why they're after me and I don't know what to do, okay?" She sighed, sliding the bowl onto the counter. “I’m...I’m not used to this.”</p><p>“Used to what?”</p><p>“...home.” She said the word like it was a derogatory term she wasn’t allowed to say. Allison, after realizing that she wasn’t going to elaborate on that, placed the pancake on a plate before cooking another. There was something Vanya wasn’t telling them. She could tell that there was more to it than just some guy stalking her sister. How could she have known that it was more than just one person if she didn’t know who they were? Why would multiple people be after her? What purpose did she serve in their eyes? And why was she so desperate to keep her family as uninvolved in this as possible?</p><p>“Why don’t you want us to help you?”</p><p>“It’s...for your own good.” Allison gave her a look of suspicion.</p><p>“What did you do?” Vanya looked up at her with an unreadable expression on her face. “Are you going to keep secrets until it blows up in your face? Is that your plan?” She didn’t answer any of her questions and went over to the fridge where she poured herself a drink before heading upstairs, leaving Allison to look after the food.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Cedar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The team discuss their options and Vanya runs into an old friend at a gift shop</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“If this is about Dad again,” Diego started as they gathered in the kitchen for the meeting.</p><p>“It’s not,” Allison assured. She glanced at her sister who sat at the far end of the table, adjusting her black and white scarf as an excuse to avoid any kind of eye contact with anyone. "Vanya's in trouble and needs our help."</p><p>"She <em>always</em> needs our help."</p><p>"Yeah, but it’s different this time," Luther cut in. "She thinks someone wants to hurt her."</p><p>"Why though?” Klaus asked, taking Five’s plate of pancakes. “I mean,” he leaned forward, waving a hand at Vanya, “it’s not like you have anything useful, no offense.”</p><p>“She has information,” Five noted. “She knows more about our powers than the public. If anyone were to get hold of that knowledge…” There was a beat of silence as they let it all sink in. Vanya swirled the cranberry juice in her glass and watched the tiny bubbles cumulate to the center. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her as she slowly sipped her drink. She had told Mother about how their powers worked but she wasn’t going to tell them that. It wouldn’t change anything. Mother would hunt her down to the ends of the earth if She had to and it would be her fault if any of them got killed or took her place in the matriarchal hierarchy.</p><p>She said, “They weren’t interested in that sort of stuff.” She took another sip, though this time her throat felt dry when she swallowed, and the bitter aftertaste bit her tongue.</p><p>“What do you mean they weren't interested?” Luther asked, furrowing his brows. "Isn't that why they want to kidnap you?"</p><p>"No. They thought I had potential for a thing they were working on." Vanya paused briefly. It wouldn't hurt to tell them a <em>piece</em> of the truth. Maybe it would help ease the guilt weighing her down. Five leaned forward curiously as she continued. "They think I'm the key or solution to the final product."</p><p>"The final product to what?" he questioned. "What are they planning to do?"</p><p>"I’m...not sure.” He narrowed his eyes as he watched his sister quickly get up to refill her glass. His time at the Commission along with being around the Handler often had given him enough experience to quickly detect if someone was lying or not. Vanya was withholding information from them and it was clear that she was being careful about what words she decided to use. Everything she said would have to be taken with a grain of salt. Right now, she didn’t seem to trust any of them with whatever secret she was hiding. Not even Five was exempt from receiving vague answers that did little to help her cause.</p><p>“Is there anything else you know?”</p><p>“That’s classified.”</p><p>“What do you mean it’s classified?” Allison questioned.</p><p>“It means I can’t tell you anything more than I’ve already told you.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“Because it’s classified.”</p><p>“But--”</p><p>“Then we’ll work with what we’ve got,” Five interrupted as he sensed an argument beginning to brew. He glanced at Vanya who gave him a tiny nod of appreciation. “If you find out anything that isn’t classified, you’ll tell us.”</p><p>“So what do we do about her little friends?” Diego asked, twirling a knife in his fingers. “It’s like she said, they’re only interested in what she can do which, I dunno about you guys, but that definitely screams shady organization to me.”</p><p>“What? You think these guys are cultists?” Allison raised a brow. “Like the Illuminati?”</p><p>“I’m pretty sure they're not even real,” Luther commented.</p><p>“You don’t know that,” Diego shot back. “They could’ve been the ones who assassinated Kennedy.”</p><p>“They did not assassinate JFK. It was--”</p><p>“We’re getting off-topic,” Five cut in. Luther cleared his throat.</p><p>"Right. So. The first thing I think we should do is look for information about this program."</p><p>"Or, we could track these guys down and kill them," Diego suggested.</p><p>"You're not doing anything until I say so. We scout around first. If you see anything suspicious, you report back to us, got it?" He grumbled something to himself but said nothing more. Five glanced at Vanya who was folding a slip of paper. He was about to ask what she was doing when she slid the paper over to him. He placed it in his coat pocket for later use as she stood up and rinsed her cup.</p><p>“You’re gonna finish your food, right?” Klaus asked, already leaning across the table in an unholy fashion for the plate of partially touched pancakes.</p><p>“Take it,” the violinist responded, setting the glass back in its designated cupboard. “I’m going to the library. I’ll be back at around 1;30.” Before anyone could get a word out, she was already out of the room.</p><p>“That was weird.”</p><p>“It’s definitely suspicious,” Luther agreed.</p><p>“I don’t think she wants us to know about whatever’s going on with her and the people after her,” Allison commented. “I mean, she’s clearly hiding something from us.”</p><p>“Maybe she’s being forced to keep quiet,” Klaus suggested. “Like, what if someone’s making her work for them and it’s like top secret or whatever.”</p><p>“That’s...a possibility.”</p><p>“It’d make sense,” Five murmured. “She said they’d been tracking her for six months--”</p><p>“Are you serious?!” Diego exclaimed, standing up. “Six months and now she decides to tell someone?”</p><p>“She also said their leader would find out about us eventually and, well…” the assassin didn’t finish the rest of the sentence. Truth be told, he had no idea how their leader, whoever she was, would respond to this. They’d been world-famous superheroes for a long time even after he’d left. It wasn’t farfetched to assume that she had done her research on them. As Vanya had said, she wasn’t interested in information, she was interested in what she could do for the Apotheosis Program.</p><p>“What else did she say?”</p><p>“Nothing useful, I’m afraid.” <em>Aside from their name, that is.</em> He didn’t voice that last bit, however. It wouldn’t be much use -- the name was too vague to get any exact results. Maybe if he asked more… No, that won't work. Vanya would just evade his questions and he did not have the patience to deal with her stubbornness, a trait that seemed to persist even after being separated for seventeen years (in her time, at least). If she wanted to tell him something vital, she would. He didn’t need to press to find out that they'd put her through some form of brainwashing. At least, that’s what it sounded like to him, anyway. Was that what she was so afraid of — that the Family would manipulate one of them to join their side? And was the Apotheosis Program the technique they used against her? But then why would they need her if…? Unless she has powers. That would explain their hyper fixation with her specifically. He didn't voice his theory with the rest; they'd just scoff at him. Vanya, for as long as they could remember, didn't have powers. It'd been drilled into their heads that she was just plain ordinary.<em> But maybe these people found a way to override that.</em> The thought alone made him uneasy. If they could do that, who knew what they were capable of. "I'm taking the car," he muttered before downing the last of his coffee.</p><p>"You know how to drive?" Allison asked in surprise.</p><p>"I know how to do everything."</p><hr/><p>The streets were busy today and Vanya had no idea why since she was certain there were no upcoming holidays. This, like most of the decisions she’d made over the past six months, was a bad idea. She shouldn't be out here, she realized much too late in her attempt to get away from her siblings. Out in the open, she felt exposed.  Which of those people was spying on her? Were they new members? Or maybe they were commissioned to track her down. She glanced over her shoulder, skimming the crowd briefly. She shuddered, pulling her scarf tighter over herself. Despite the mild weather, it still felt a little chilly to her. Vanya pulled her hoodie up and kept her head low. She was good at being inconspicuous. It was something she’d picked up in her time at the Academy; it came with the advantage of getting away with certain things her siblings couldn’t.</p><p>That all went away when she was brought to the Manor. There, she was supposed to be a perfect role model for the young ones and abide by all the rules. Mother was a very particular person, even moreso than Reginald himself. She was very keen on making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be at all times of the day. Vanya wondered if it had had a lasting impression on the ones who’d abandoned the Family for good and were only spoken of in passing. Was she one of those people now? She hadn’t given them a proper goodbye being that she was in such a rush to leave. Mother, in particular, had been uncharacteristically lenient with the fact she was up so late and noticeably dressed. Normally, she would be given a scolding and escorted back to bed. Why had She let her off so easily?</p><p>Distracted by her train of thought, she accidentally bumped into someone. "Shit, look what you did," the woman snapped as she dropped her cup of coffee on the ground. Vanya stepped back and started to reach for it but the stranger pushed her hand away.</p><p>"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I can–"</p><p>"Don’t bother." She tried not to let her rudeness get to her and quickened her pace a little to get to the library on time. She can buy another one, she told herself. It's just a cup of coffee. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Somewhere, over the bustling city noise, she could hear a corvid cawing. A chill ran down her spine and she decided to walk a little faster. Best case scenario, it doesn’t spot her.</p><p>At some point on her way, she found herself inside a gift shop. Of all the places she could be, it had to be this, didn't it? Vanya huffed in frustration as she wandered around for a bit. What are we doing here again? A gift for Claire was the first thing that came to mind. Right. Claire. She picked up a pocket-sized bear and ran her finger across its soft light purple head. She remember she used to have one of these in the nursery before... Her nails dug into the soft plush figure as her vision blurred and her throat tightened. Breathing became more difficult with each breath she took. "Are you okay?" a soft voice asked as a hand touched her shoulder. She spun around and would’ve gasped were it not for the panic attack she was experiencing. She knew that face. She knew that face so well. The woman gently cupped her face in her warm hands and pressed her forehead against hers. "Shh, it's okay. It's okay, I'm here. Deep breaths, remember?" she murmured gently. Vanya closed her eyes and followed her instructions. "Slowly..." She exhaled softly, leaning into her touch. “Atta girl.”</p><p>“Cedar,” she whispered.</p><p>“Vee. Are you alright now?” The blonde pulled away slightly to give her a concerned look. She nodded, pressing her face into her shoulder. “What would you do without me,” she sighed, pressing her face into her scarf. “I missed you.”</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Vanya asked, quietly. Despite the comforting presence, she couldn’t help but feel wary of her friend’s presence. “How did you find me?” She looked up at her.</p><p>“Well, I heard you having a panic attack–”</p><p>“No. No, how did you…?”</p><p>“Oh. I heard your father died and figured you might be around.” Cedar shrugged casually. “It was just a coincidence I found in time. What brings you here?”</p><p>“I was getting something for my niece. Um…” She took the bear from her hand and examined it.</p><p>“You think she’d like this?”</p><p>“No. I don’t know, I’ve never met her before.”</p><p>“Oh? That’s a shame. Maybe you can take me to see her someday.” Vanya didn't like that idea very much but she wouldn't say that in front of <em>her</em>. She started to pull away from her friend before the latter squeezed her hand. “I was worried about you. You’ve been...different lately.”</p><p>“Lately?”</p><p>“Back home, I mean. Before you left.”</p><p>“Oh. Yeah, that.” She put her hands in her pockets. For a moment, she didn’t know how to explain it to her. “I wasn’t feeling too good.”</p><p>"But you're better now, right?"</p><p>"I-I don’t know. It's been difficult." Not wanting to delve further into the topic, she decided to busy herself by looking around the store for anything interesting. She skimmed the shelves of children’s toys when Cedar said, “Mother wants you to come home.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“What do you mean why? It’s been six months since anyone’s seen you. Everyone’s getting worried.” Vanya couldn’t help but sigh softly. The pangs of homesickness tugged at her chest lightly as she thought of her Siblings back at the Manor. But then Mother came to mind and the longing was replaced with apprehension.</p><p>"I'll visit when I can," she responded. "There's things I need to take care of here." Cedar squeezed her arm.</p><p>"You're not thinking about leaving, are you?" she asked in a low tone. Vanya lifted her hand to touch her face before remembering that there was a time and place for everything. She took the toy from her hand and quickly put it on another shelf.</p><p>"We'll talk about this later." She tried not to feel bad when her friend’s shoulders slumped in dismay. For the rest of their time in the shop, the two barely spoke to each other. After a few minutes, they settled on a coloring book. Cedar was the first to speak as they left.</p><p>"My place isn't that far from here." She nodded towards a set of apartments down the block. "Do you want to come over? You look tired." Vanya could always go home and rest but then she would have to answer her siblings' questions about the Family which meant putting them in danger. Naturally, she agreed to stop by.</p><hr/><p>Cedar's apartment was small but cozy with enough space to rearrange the furniture if she wanted. There was a fireplace in the parlor next to a bookshelf by the window and a knee-length table with a tea set. The place itself smelled faintly of lavender which eased her muscles a little as she took a seat on the sofa. “I didn’t think you’d buy a place in the city,” she commented.</p><p>“It’s actually my brother’s. He’s letting me stay here for a bit since he’s on a trip.” She blinked in surprise.</p><p>“I thought you didn’t talk to your family anymore.”</p><p>“He likes to check on me sometimes,” Cedar explained. “I don’t know why he doesn’t just come to the Manor.” She cleared her throat and headed over to the kitchen as she asked, “So where’ve you been? Nobody’s heard from you in a while.”</p><p>“Oh, here and there. You know how it is.”</p><p>“And the funeral? How was… how’d you cope with your siblings?” Vanya hesitated. Should she tell her about Five? If Mother found out he was trying to stop the apocalypse from happening would She try to stop him? Or would She interpret it as a sign that she should return?</p><p>“It was fine,” she said at last with a shrug. “They haven’t really changed much since I last saw them.” Cedar hummed and handed her a biscuit with jam.</p><p>“I’m sure they’ll warm up to you eventually. I- you’re coming home soon, right? I mean, when you’re done with Claire, that is. I’m not rushing you or anything. I just--”</p><p>“Is that why you’re here?”</p><p>“No, I- I’m just worried you’ll leave like the others. Mother hates it when people leave. She gets so upset and you know how She is when She’s like that. I don’t want you to get in trouble that’s all.” She stared at her for a moment in silence before her gaze fell on the biscuit in her hand. It was wrong to assume that her friend had done something to the food. It was wrong to assume that she’d ever hurt her. Still, the scenario of being drugged and waking up in the Pit again left a sour taste in her mouth. She couldn’t lie to her; it would have unpleasant consequences. She couldn’t tell the truth either. If Cedar found out that the Academy was helping her, she’d tell Mother and everything would be a waste of time.</p><p>“I didn’t mean to scare you all,” she said quietly, setting the plate down on the table. “I’ll...I’ll be home soon, I promise. There’s a few things I need to do here first.” It was clear that Cedar didn’t like the last bit but she nodded anyway.</p><p>“I’m sure She'll understand,” she murmured, though it seemed like she was trying to convince herself that more than her friend. She perked up a little as she said, "Nessa’s birthday is coming up. Maybe you could come over then?” Vanya blinked in surprise. <em>Oh, of course!</em> How could she have forgotten so easily?</p><p>“Maybe I will.” She smiled despite the hollow pit of dread building in her stomach. You’re going to be in so much trouble, she thought to herself. She started reaching for the biscuit on the table before stopping herself. <em>Don’t take it. Who knows what’s inside that thing?</em> She watched her friend pour the hot water from the kettle into the teapot. “What kind of tea is this?" she could help but ask.</p><p>"Lavender, why?"</p><p>"...hm.” Cedar settled in beside her as she stirred her tea slowly.</p><p>“Is there something on your mind?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>She nudged her gently as she murmured, “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” Vanya nodded, looking away. “So you’ll tell me if something comes up like we used to.”</p><p>“Yeah,” she whispered, ignoring the guilt building up inside her. “Just like old times.”</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Under Surveillance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Vanya worries about spies wiretapping the phones at the Academy</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>By the time it was eleven-thirty, Vanya had only gotten halfway through her drink. She’d managed to coax herself into taking a few cautious sips after a minute of debating whether or not it was drugged. The biscuit, on the other hand, was still left untouched. Cedar hadn’t asked about it. She was too occupied with braiding her hair to care much. Her nimble fingers weaved effortlessly through her dark locks as she said, “You should wash your hair more often. It smells awful.”</p><p>“Haven’t gotten the chance to do that lately. It’s been a busy week.”</p><p>“Still…”</p><p>“I’ve thought about cutting it.”</p><p>“Why would you want to do that?” Vanya pushed back a strand of hair from her face.</p><p>“I just do,” she said, leaving back against the couch with a shrug.</p><p>“Mother says we’re not supposed to though,” Cedar pointed out. “Besides,” she leaned against her, “I think you’d look silly with short hair.” Vanya smiled a little but it quickly faded. She couldn’t help but feel slight discomfort at the light jab. She resisted the urge to brush her off as she rested her chin on her shoulder. "You're perfect just the way you are." But only if you conform to what people want you to be. The last part was not spoken but the meaning was still there. Mother was quite keen on drilling that into their heads, especially the young ones. Vanya wasn’t sure if She saw the irony in that. Or maybe She did. Maybe She didn’t care. It was hard to tell what She might be thinking sometimes. Cedar took on a more gentler tone as she asked, “Is something wrong?”</p><p>“No. No, everything’s fine. I just… remembered something, that’s all,” Vanya lied, putting on a smile. Her nails scraped against the mug in her hands.</p><p>“Do you think Five could’ve been a seer?” She glanced curiously at her. “I mean, you said he could manipulate time, right? What if he had a vision of something?” Her brows furrowed slightly. Was she implying that his disappearance was inevitable?</p><p>“It had nothing to do with that,” she responded, shaking her head. “He was just an ambitious kid.”</p><p>“Then why didn’t your father train him properly? If he can teach him spatial jumping, why not time manipulation?” Frankly, Vanya didn’t know. She’d hoped the tapes would give her an idea but nothing useful had come up. The thought of Reginald purposefully getting Five stuck in the apocalypse left a bitter taste in her mouth.</p><p>“Maybe he was just an awful mentor,” she said at last. Cedar chuckled softly as she checked the time on her watch. Shit. "I need to go.” She set her tea on the table as she stood.</p><p>"So soon?"</p><p>"My siblings are expecting me to be home by one-thirty." She picked up her things and paused briefly. "It's...family business."</p><p>Cedar looked a bit bothered by that but didn't ask questions. “Wait.” She quickly jotted down her number and address on a slip of paper and handed it to her. “If anything comes up I’m always available.” Vanya placed it in her pocket and kissed her forehead before leaving.</p><hr/><p>As she climbed the stairs to the office, she was expecting one of her siblings to show up and pester her with questions about the Family, but to her surprise, no one came. As she reached the top, she heard Allison’s muffled, frustrated voice down the hall. Was she having an argument with someone? Under different circumstances, Vanya probably would’ve avoided any confrontation with her older sister but she didn’t like the idea of her (or anyone else for that matter) using the phone to call people for fear of Her tracing it back to the Academy. When she got to the end of the hall, Allison had already finished her conversation with whoever had been on the other line. Tentatively, she asked, "Are you okay?" Allison turned to face her.</p><p>"Yeah," she said with a sigh, despite the clear frustration on her face.</p><p>"Who was that on the phone?"</p><p>"Patrick. He's upset because I told him I won't be able to make it to my next therapy session and now he won't even let me talk to Claire."</p><p>"I’m...sorry about that," Vanya said, trying to sound empathetic. “You know it’s probably for the best if you didn’t see her. I mean, it’s better if you stayed here and–”</p><p>“No, I’m better off my daughter.” She tried not to flinch at the harsh tone in her voice and shuffled her feet awkwardly.</p><p>“Of course.” Before she could get another word out, Allison spoke again.</p><p>“You know, if I wanted advice, it wouldn’t be from you.”</p><p>“Why not?”</p><p>“You don’t have a child. You’ve never even been in a relationship, as far as I’m aware.”</p><p>“You don’t know that.”</p><p>“So you know what it’s like to love someone like this? Like when you’re apart from her, you can’t breathe? Like you would… you would die — and I mean <em>actually</em> die to know that she's happy and okay?” Vanya clenched her jaw as the grief that’d been her companion for half a year now started to resurface. Of course she’d loved someone. She knew damn well what it was like to feel the loss of a child. Every day, she was plagued with constant reminders of the bitter fact that she’d done nothing to save them. But she wasn't going to tell her that. Not right now, at least. "Ever since we were kids, you’ve always separated yourself from everything and everyone. You’re still doing it even after all these years.” Vanya started to tell her that it was because she didn’t want them to be targeted but stopped herself. Would she understand if she told her? Probably not. The ones she’d told had been dismissive of her and died shortly after. Her gut squirmed as she thought of the elderly woman who’d recently taken her in. Pushing the thought away, she cleared her throat and straightened herself.</p><p>“If you’re not busy by then, I’d appreciate it if you could check the phone lines later,” she said in an attempt to change the subject. Allison’s brows furrowed in confusion.</p><p>“Why? Can’t you ask Pogo to do it?”</p><p>“I don’t want anyone listening in on our conversations and I don’t trust Pogo.” Her frown deeper as she searched her gaze.</p><p>“You know I’m not an electrician, right? I could call–”</p><p>“No, I need you to do it. Or Five.”</p><p>“I don’t know if you know this, but none of us were trained for that kind of stuff. Besides, I don’t think anyone knows you’re here.”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter; they’ll find out eventually and infiltrate the Academy for any information they can get their hands on.”</p><p>“...right.” Vanya’s shoulders slumped slightly. She couldn’t help but feel as though her sister didn’t believe her. Does she think I’m crazy? Or maybe she just wasn’t taking any of this as seriously as she’d hoped.</p><p>“Nevermind.” She headed for the stairs as she added, “I’ll just get Diego to do it.”</p><p>“Wh- did you not hear what I just said?” She did. But someone had to check the phone lines and it wasn’t going to be her.</p><hr/><p>She managed to find the vigilante at the local gym which conveniently happened to be where he lived. She wasn't surprised to find him practicing with a punching bag in one corner. He was competitive, after all. "You look lonely, " she said, leaning against the railing. Diego turned to face her.</p><p>"What are you doing here?” he asked, taking off his boxing gloves.</p><p>“You wouldn’t happen to know anything about phones, do you?”</p><p>“Does it look like I do?” His sister rolled her eyes as he took a swig of his water. “What’s this all about?”</p><p>“I need to make sure no one’s listening in on another line.” That earned her a raised brow. Christ, she really was paranoid, huh?</p><p>“This about those buddies ‘o yours?” She nodded slightly. Diego grunted as he leaped off the ring and wiped his brow with a towel he’d brought. “There’s been a shootout at Griddy’s,” he informed, tossing on a shirt. “Patch thinks they killed each other but I’ve got a feeling something else is going on. There was a witness — some tow truck driver. I think he might have seen something.” He watched Vanya’s brows furrow in deep thought.</p><p>“No, they wouldn’t do something like that.”</p><p>“How would you know?” He slung his bag over his shoulder as they headed for the door.</p><p>“They don’t like drawing attention. It makes things more complicated.” Diego narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her.</p><p>“You wouldn’t know any of this unless you worked for them for some time, wouldn’t you?” When Vanya didn’t respond, he asked, “Where’d you go when you left? Seventeen years of no contact and now you decide to show up?”</p><p>“I’d rather not talk about it,” Vanya responded. She quickened her pace a little as they headed down the street. It soon started the drizzle lightly despite the fact that it wasn’t supposed to rain until later in the week. The two walked together in silence until they got to the bus stop. “Let me know if anything interesting happens.” To Diego’s surprise, she handed him a wad of cash. “Do something with that, will you?” He frowned slightly.</p><p>“Where the hell did you get this?”</p><p>“...the lady I used to work for.”</p><p>“Must be good work if she’s paying you this much.”</p><p>“I don’t recommend it,” Vanya responded as he thumbed through the bills. She took out a few quarters from her pocket and counted them as the bus came into view. “Don’t do anything reckless.”</p><p>“Yeah, sure, ‘cuz I’m the one in trouble.”</p><p>She squeezed his arm as she said in a low tone, “I’m serious. You don’t know who could be watching.” He nodded slowly and she let go. “See you.”</p><hr/><p>The smoke from Allison’s cigarette floated and dissipated into the night sky as she puffed out the last bits and pressed it into the extinguisher plate next to her. She turned as Pogo greeted her. "I was looking for you," the butler said.</p><p>"How did you find me?" she asked, stepping closer to him.</p><p>"Oh, it wasn't hard. This is always where you used to come when you were upset."</p><p>"Who told you I was…" Ah. Of course, she thought as a sigh escaped her lips. "Luther."</p><p>"Actually, it was Miss Vanya. She wanted me to make sure you were okay." <em>Why didn't she come up here herself then?</em> Allison didn't ask this out loud however. She already knew the answer.</p><p>"Yeah, I, um… I said some pretty unkind things to her," she murmured, looking away.</p><p>"She's your sister. She knows you didn't mean it." A scoff escaped her lips. Vanya was always the most sensitive of the bunch. She'd probably take the argument as a personal attack or something.</p><p>"Doubt it. She doesn't know anything about me, which is fine 'cuz I don't know shit about her either."</p><p>"Language," Pogo scolded lightly.</p><p>"Sorry.” Allison chuckled a little. “It’s just… it’s been a while since we’ve all lived under the same roof.”</p><p>“Almost thirteen years.”</p><p>“How did you do it? Alone in this huge house for so long.”</p><p>“Well, one grows used to things, even if sometimes one shouldn’t.” Pogo straightened himself a little as he turned towards the door. “Come with me. I want to show you something.”</p><p>The talking chimp had given her the keys to the surveillance room so she could lock up after viewing the recordings of their very odd childhood. It felt surreal watching her younger self from these monitors. She felt like she was watching an experiment from the 1900s. This must’ve been how their father really saw them as: lab rats for his grand plan. Her gaze flickered over to the recording of Vanya playing alone in the living room. Pain stabbed at her heart and she had to look away. Allison inhaled. She was going to make it up to her. She had to; her sister was counting on her after all. A tape sitting on top of the VCR caught her attention. She flipped it over before inserting it in. She frowned, leaning forward a little as the screen showed a recording of the front gate. It was dark but she could make out the figure of her father talking to a woman who looked like she could be in her mid-thirties. Allison raised the volume a little as the woman handed him what looked like an envelope. “...ordinary,” her father was saying. “She has no discernible talents, much less power.”</p><p>“She will be of more use to me at my home than she will with you.” The woman leaned forward slightly. “This will benefit both of us in the end. A little time is all I ask.” Allison frowned slightly. Were they talking about Vanya? <em>I thought she'd run away.</em> Here, it seemed like she was being bought or adopted. Her father lifted his chin as he took the envelope. "My children have shown exceptional skill as a team. I'm sure they'd work well with your own."</p><p>"What are you doing?" Allison turned as Vanya walked in.</p><p>"Have you seen her before?" She pointed to the woman on the screen. Her sister stepped closer to examine it closely. After a moment, she responded.</p><p>"That's Mother." Her voice was barely a whisper as she stared at the screen, seemingly transfixed on what was being shown.</p><p>"She adopted you?" She nodded a little. The recording ended and was quickly replaced with static. A shaky sigh escaped her lips as she clutched her shoulder. "Are you okay?"</p><p>"Yeah. Yeah, I...I just need a quick drink." Before Allison could react, she was already out the door.</p><hr/><p>Cedar leaned back against the wall of the dark alley and grimaced in disgust. The scent of weed still lingered from the last visitor. She checked her watch just as an impala pulled up beside her. "You're late," she observed.</p><p>"Nice to see you too, Sister," Eldest, the driver, said as he stepped out. His raven black hair was, for once, tied back in a ponytail. He leaned against the car and casually flicked a lighter.</p><p>"I found her." He raised a brow curiously. "She's at the mansion with the Umbrella Academy."</p><p>"Really? Never thought she'd go back to that place. Desperate times must call for–"</p><p>"Don’t say that. She’s just here for the funeral, that's all."</p><p>"Are you sure?" Eldest leaned forward as a knowing smirk tugged at his lips. "Six months is an awful long time to be away, don't you think?" Cedar's eyes widened in surprise slightly. Did he suspect her friend of treason? Or did he doubt Mother’s prophecy?</p><p>"Vanya has been marked," she said, shaking off the beginnings of an ugly thought.</p><p>"You think that's enough to stop her? She's one of the Hargreeves–"</p><p>"She’s one of <em>us</em> and she knows it. She would never betray us; she said it herself." Her Brother didn't say anything but it was clear that he doubted her. “Besides, she’s coming for Nessa’s birthday.”</p><p>“Hm. Did you get any more information on her? Maybe something useful?”</p><p>“She has a niece.”</p><p>"The Rumor’s kid, yeah. I’ve been keeping tabs on her.”</p><p>“Do you have her address?”</p><p>“Of course I do.” Eldest looked slightly offended by the question. “I pass by that place every day.” He paused before narrowing his eyes. “Why? What are you planning?”</p><p>“Nothing, I was just curious.” He leaned back with a huff and flicked his lighter a few times. It was clear to him that Vanya wasn't going to come back willingly. She’d spent too much time outside the Manor. It wouldn’t be too out there to assume that someone must've worked on deprogramming her. If they'd managed to figure out how to override the triggers, Mother would have to intervene. Hopefully, their mission would go smoothly. After the fourth flick, he put the lighter back in his pocket.</p><p>“So anyway, She told me to give you these.” He opened the car door and held out a sealed letter. Cedar tilted her head as she flipped it over. The initials <strong>V. H.</strong> was the only thing written where the address should be. Did She want her to deliver this? If so, why not send Eldest? She looked up as he held out the keys to the impala. “It’s all yours.” She murmured her thanks and gave him a hug before sliding into the passenger seat.</p><p>As she started the engine and drove out of the alley, her thoughts wandered back to Vanya again. She would come back to the Manor. She <em>had</em> to. It would be foolish, after all, to just leave after everything she’d gone through while at the Academy. Mother had saved her from a lifetime of humiliation and awakened her true potential. Without Her, she wouldn’t have been able to override Allison’s rumor. Vanya owed her life to the Family. So why did Eldest seem so convinced that she would betray them? <em>It’s probably nothing,</em> Cedar thought to herself. <em>He’s just paranoid. Everything will work out just fine.</em></p>
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